What to do the minute you ding your board
A ding is only a small problem if you treat it like one right away. Here is what to do between the beach and the repair shop.
Most expensive repairs start as cheap ones that kept getting surfed. Foam soaks up water through any break in the glass, and a wet board is heavier, weaker and harder to fix. What you do in the first hour matters more than anything a repair shop does later.
1. Get out of the water
If you can catch a fingernail in it, or you can see foam or cloth, the session is over. A hairline pressure crack that is still sealed can wait. An open ding cannot.
2. Let it drain and dry
Stand the board with the ding at the lowest point, in the shade, and let it drip. Leave it somewhere warm and dry for a few days. Do not leave it in a hot car or direct sun to speed things up. Heat expands the air and water inside the board and can lift the glass off the foam, which turns a ding into a delamination.
3. Do not seal it wet
Stickers, duct tape and sun-cure putty over a wet ding trap salt water inside. The foam goes brown, the glass lets go around it and the eventual repair gets bigger. If you have to tape it to get through a trip, pull the tape off as soon as you are home.
4. Know what your board is made of
Polyester resin melts EPS foam. If your board is epoxy and you patch it with a polyester kit, you will eat a crater into it. If you do not know which you have, look for the word "epoxy" near the stringer or the logo, or ask before you put anything on it.
5. Take photos and get a quote
A whole-board shot and a couple of close-ups in daylight are enough for a price range. Small dings are usually a few days in the shop.